Method and apparatus for removal of superfluous hair



June 2, 1959 E. M. FOZARD 2,883,927

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVAL OF SUPERFLUOUS HAIR Filed Nov. 29, 1955INVENTOR. Elf/76K Mam'on Fozarcl ATTORNEYS NIETHOD AND APPARATUS FORREMOVAL O SUPERFLUOUS HAIR Ethel Marion Fozard, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application November 29, 1955, Serial No. 549,592

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-30313) This invention relates to a novel method andapparatus for epilation.

Heretofore, in the removal of superfluous hair by high frequencycoagulation of the root, a needle was inserted into follicle containingthe unwanted hair and the needle energized by high frequency wouldcoagulate the hair bulb and thus kill the hair root, after which thehair could be plucked from the follicle. The diificulty with suchpractice resides in the fact that even with a skilled operator it isdangerous since patients may be burned or cut by the needle and theinsertion of the needle is painful, particularly in tender spots, suchas the nostril or the like, when it is attempted to remove a hairtherefrom.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a novelmethod and apparatus whereby the skin of the person is not touched by anelectrical apparatus which might cut or burn. This is accomplished byproviding a gripping means which is connected to a high frequencygenerator and supplied thereby with high frequency electric currents. Bygripping the hair in spaced relation to the skin and energizing thegripping means with high frequency current which travels along the hair,the current coagulates and kills the root, after which the hair can bereadily removed Without pain. More specifically, the present inventionprovides a novel tweezer structure whereby the hair can be gripped inspaced relation to the skin and the high frequency current appliedthereto, without discomfort to the patient, to kill the roots, afterwhich the hair can be removed by the tweezer, greatly expediting theoperation, while at the same time eliminating any danger of burns orother physical harm heretofore encountered when contacting the skin witha needle or the like having high frequency current.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when considered in connection with the drawingsin which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the high frequency generator with thetweezer attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top view, partly in section, of the tweezer.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the tweezer.

In carrying out the present invention, a standard high frequencygenerator has a gripping means 11 connected thereto and is controlled bya manually operated switch 12. The high frequency generator isillustrated within the dash lines of Fig. l and includes the usualrectifier tube, amplifier tube and oscillator circuits providing a highfrequency current at the output jack 13. The de tails of this generatorform no part of the present invention. The control switch 12. connectedto the generator may take many forms. utilize a foot-operated switchdiagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1. The gripping means 11 isconnected to one end of a shielded or heavily insulated cable 14 havinga plug 15 at the other end to be inserted in the output jack 13. Thegripping means is adapted to grip a hair 16 at a point spaced from theskin 17, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that when the foot switch 12 isoperated, high fre- At present, it is preferred to ice 2 quency currentwill energize the gripping means and cause the high frequency current topass along the hair to the root of the hair bulb at the end thereof tocoagulate or otherwise destroy the root, after which the hair can beremoved painlessly.

While'the gripping means may take many forms, such as scissor-typegrippers or the usually normally open tweezers, in the preferred form ofthe invention the tweezer is normally urged to closed position, thusaiding the operator in gripping the hair and reducing fatigue of theoperator. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tweezer comprises a pair ofmetallic arms 18, 19 having points 20 at one end and having transverselyextending ears 21 midway along the arms. The ears are connected by apivot pin 22 about which is positioned a spring 23 having legs 24extending rearwardly along and engaging the inner surface of the tweezerarms to normally urge the pointed ends together into gripping relation.A resilient insulating jacket 25 is disposed along each of the arms ofthe tweezer to extend over the hand-engaging portions thereof to permitthe tweezer to be manipulated without contact with the metal partsthereof.

When it is desired to remove the superfluous hair, the generator isconnected to a suitable source of alternating current S. The grippingmeans is plugged into the jack 13 and a hair is gripped thereby at apoint spaced from the skin. The manually operated switch 12 is thenclosed causing the generator to supply the tweezer with a high frequencycurrent. This will quickly coagulate the hair bulb and kill the roots ofthe hair. By simply withdrawing the tweezer, the hair gripped therebycan be painlessly withdrawn from the skin. Thus, with a singlemanipulation of the tweezer, the hair can be removed and greatlyincreasing the speed of the operator.

It will be noted that at no time is it necessary to touch the skin withany means having the high frequency current therein so that danger ofburns or other injury is avoided, as well as the pain incident to theinserting of the needle.

The present invention is capable of self use or use by an operator andsince it reduces the number of operations heretofore required, greatlyspeeds up the removal of hair.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In an epilator comprising a high frequency current generator andmeans for manually controlling the generator, the improvement wherein ahair gripping means is connected to the high frequency current generatorto receive high frequency current therefrom, said hair gripping meansbeing adapted to engage the hair in spaced relation to the skin and totransmit said high frequency current to the hair gripped thereby todestroy the hair bulb thereof whereby the air can be removed by saidgripping means.

2. In an epilator comprising a high frequency current generator andmeans for manually controlling the generator, the improvement wherein ahair gripping means comprising a tweezer having insulatedfinger-receiving portions is connected to the high frequency currentgenerator to receive high frequency current therefrom, said tweezerbeing adapted to grip the hair in spaced relation to the skin and totransmit said high frequency current to the hair gripped thereby todestroy the hair bulb thereof whereby the hair can be removed by saidtweezer.

3. In an epilator comprising a high frequency current generator andmeans for manually controlling the generator, the improvement wherein ahair gripping means comprising a tweezer having gripping portionsnormally urged to gripping position by spring means is connected to the2,238,344 Shuler et al Apr. 15, 1941 high frequency current generator toreceive high fre- 2,375,194 Broyles May 8, 1945 quency currenttherefrom, said trveezer being adapted to FOREIGN PATENTS engage thehair in spaced relation to the skin and to transmit said high frequencycurrent to the hair gripped 5 629,091 Germany P 1936 thereby to destroythe hair bulb thereof wherebythe hair OTHER REFERENCES can be removed bySald tweezer' Electro-Therapeutieal Practice, a book by CharlesReferences Cited in the file of this patent gf g f 'Pubhshed 1920 P(COPY 1v. UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Essentials of Medical Electricity;Cumberbatch; Eighth 1,071,978 White Sept. 2, 1913 Edition, 1939; pages425 and 426. (Copy in Div. 55.)

